SDF Captures Two ISIS Leaders in Deir ez-Zor Raid
Two high-ranking ISIS members, including an ISIS Amir, were apprehended. Both suspects, reportedly natives of the town, have been taken into custody and transferred to a secure facility for further interrogation.

Jan. 24, 2025
Erbil (Kurdistan24) – Security units from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) conducted a targeted raid in the town of Khasham, located in eastern Deir ez-Zor city in Northeast Syria, aimed at dismantling Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
During the operation, two high-ranking ISIS members, including an ISIS Amir, were apprehended.
Both suspects, reportedly natives of the town, have been taken into custody and transferred to a secure facility for further interrogation.
Earlier this month, SOHR reported that the SDF detained seven individuals in the town of al-Basira, also in eastern Deir ez-Zor, accused of belonging to ISIS sleeper cells.
The detainees, who had reportedly infiltrated SDF-controlled areas from Ras al-Ain in Hasaka, were found in possession of weapons and ammunition.
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The United States, a key partner of the SDF since 2014, maintains approximately 2,000 troops in northeastern Syria to support counterterrorism operations against ISIS.
This collaboration has been instrumental in dismantling the group's territorial control in Syria and Iraq. However, U.S. officials caution that ISIS remains a persistent threat, with the potential to exploit security vacuums and destabilize the region further.
In 2024, the Pentagon reported that U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria had doubled compared to the previous year, reflecting heightened concerns about a possible ISIS resurgence.
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The intensified campaign aims to prevent the group from leveraging instability in Damascus to expand its influence and orchestrate external attacks, including plots targeting Western nations.
Analysts have also warned of the potential rise in lone wolf attacks inspired by the group, as well as a spike in external attack plots if ISIS is allowed to consolidate power amid the regional chaos.
Read more: ISIS media strategy fuels global radicalization, New York Times reports